The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has provided a platform for overseas scientists to transfer concepts and technologies in a holistic approach during the Sustainable Utilisation of Tropical Plant Biomass: Bioproducts, Biocatalysts and Biorefinery (SutB4) conference.

As a positive outcome of the conference, which was held recently, renowned scientists from overseas showed the green flag to move ahead with further collaborative research with TNAU on biomass, bioconversion and biorefinery. The new avenue will be on the diversification of existing collaborations, even as biomass represents an abundant carbon neutral renewable source for the production of bioenergy and bioproducts.

Recalling TNAU’s collaboration with Russia on organic carbon enrichment and microbes associated with organic carbon status of soil, TNAU vice-chancellor Dr K Ramasamy said that it has started working on lignin derived products under various research programs funded by the Department of Bio Technology, Delhi.

Prof Xinmin Zhan, professor at the Civil Engineering Department in the National University of Ireland, consented to join hands with TNAU on bio-diesel production and bio-remediation of wastes, while Dr Virginia Echavarri Bravo, faculty from the School of Biological Sciences, Edinburgh, UK, expressed a wish to extend its boundary with TNAU in the area of lignin derived products.

Alla V Bryanskaya, deputed by the Institute of Cytology and Genetics, SBRAS, Russia, said that Russia aimed to have newer collaboration with TNAU on thermophilic enzymes for biomass valorization. The working team has come to India with the dual purpose of attending the conference and to explore possibilities of joint venture with TNAU scientists to plan joint research programs through the Government of India and Russia.